Saskatoon hotel manager accused of extorting tenants for sex

The Northwoods Inn and Suites on Idylwyld Drive North on Nov. 28, 2017. (Celine Grimard/650 CKOM)

A Saskatoon hotel manager with a history of sexual misconduct is at the centre of disturbing new allegations.

John Pontes is accused of extorting tenants for sexual favours at the Northwoods Inn and Suites on Idylwyld Drive North.

The 74-year-old also faces three charges of sexual assault and uttering death threats.

Saskatoon police began looking into allegations of sexual misconduct in February.

Pontes was arrested at the hotel on Monday and appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court the following day. His next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

In 2014, Pontes was ordered to pay nearly $45,000 dollars in damages for sexually-harassing a female employee at the hotel.

In 2014, a complaint of gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment from a female employee to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) cost Northwoods Inn and Suites cost Pontes $44,900.

In a news release at the time, the SHRC Chief Commissioner David Arnot said the case is a “significant legal precedent.”

“The court recognized the significant harm to the woman’s human rights that occurred in this situation,” Arnot stated.

“The judgment is financially notable as the damages provided by the code far exceed usual damages for wrongful dismissal. This is a clear message that egregious human rights violations will not be tolerated in the workplace.”